Cookies on the Arsenal WebsiteWe use cookies to improve your browsing experience and help us improve our websites. We and carefully selected third parties use cookies to show you more relevant ads online. For more information, please click here. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of such cookies.

Saturday's key battles: Boro v Arsenal

Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways when they head north to Teesside to face Middlesbrough on Saturday. This season Arsenal.com will be identifying the key battles for the game. We will bring you all the statistics and information a fan could need so swot up now and come Sunday you will be impressing anyone who will listen with your new-found knowledge.

Stewart Downing

Player Profile - Bacary Sagna

Stewart Downing v Bacary SagnaWithout a goal and boasting only two assists this term, Stewart Downing is short of the form that has made him Boro’s talisman in recent years. Often revered for his pinpoint crossing accuracy, the 24-year-old has completed only six of his 64 crosses this term. Bacary Sagna has a pass completion rate of over 60 per cent, completing five of his 11 tackles to date this term.

DOWNING V SAGNA

Stewart Downing

Bacary Sagna

Appearances

16

14

Minutes played

1433

1118

Assists

2

0

Clearances

7

19

Successful crosses

6

0

Unsuccessful crosses

58

18

Successful dribbles

6

3

Unsuccessful dribbles

6

1

Complete passes

75

62

Incomplete passes

61

30

Shots off target

18

3

Shots on target

12

3

Tackles lost

4

6

Tackles won

4

5

Tuncay Sanli

Player Profile - William Gallas

Tuncay Sanli v William GallasTuncay Sanli has emerged as one of the most technically gifted deep-lying forwards in the Premier League. The Turkish international has scored four goals and registered one assist in his 11 appearances this season. William Gallas, who has a 57 per cent tackling success rate this term, could be the man in his way on Saturday . The centre half has a much better passing record than his opponent and narrowly trumps Sanli in the dribbling stakes too.

SANLI V GALLAS

Tuncay Sanli

William Gallas

Appearances

11

12

Minutes played

964

1080

Assists

1

0

Clearances

2

18

Successful dribbles

2

2

Unsuccessful dribbles

2

1

Goals scored

4

1

Complete passes

40

48

Incomplete passes

31

17

Shots off target

7

4

Shots on target

11

4

Shots on woodwork

0

0

Tackles lost

5

3

Tackles win

5

4

Chris Riggott

Player Profile - Robin van Persie

Chris Riggott v Robin van PersieDavid Wheater’s suspension means that Chris Riggott could be the man assigned to Robin van Persie who is expected to return to the Gunners’ front line after sitting out Wednesday’s defeat at Porto. The Dutchman has scored seven goals and hit the woodwork twice this season. Riggott has generated an 80 per cent success rate and completed 14 clearances in his eight appearances this season.

RIGGOT V VAN PERSIE

Chris Riggot

Robin van Persie

Appearances

8

13

minutes played

682

994

Assists

0

3

Clearances

14

2

Successful dribbles

2

4

Unsuccessful dribbles

1

2

Goals scored

0

7

Complete passes

31

49

Incomplete passes

20

28

Shots off target

0

26

Shots on target

2

23

Shots on woodwork

0

2

Tackles lost

2

3

Tackles won

8

2

Copyright 2015 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source12 Dec 2008

Please ensure you enter the correct Date of Birth as it will be required if you need to reset your password

Please ensure that you enter your parents email address and click here to review our privacy policy for those who are under 13. Please note that an email address can only be used once to register as a Digital Member so you cannot register for both an adult and junior membership under the same email address.

Mobile Number

* Country

Language Preference

* Postcode

* Email Address

* Confirm Email Address

* Password

* Confirm Password

Get all the news from Arsenal.com

Weekly E-Newsletter (only in English)I would like to receive the weekly e-newsletter which includes match reviews and offers from The Arsenal Football Club plc and its commercial partners.

Club Information and Offers (only in English)I would like to receive information and offers relating to The Arsenal Football Club plc.

Offers and Information about Commercial Partners (only in English)I would like to receive information and offers relating to The Arsenal Football Club plc's commercial partners.For further details, see our Privacy Policy or write to us at Data Protection Officer, The Arsenal Football Club PLC, 75 Drayton Park, London N5 1BU